Thread: Dean Calls on Republican Party to Denounce Minutemen

http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/02/dean ... on_r_1.php

Dean Calls on Republican Party Leadership to Denounce Minutemen and Anti-Immigrant Rally

February 10, 2006

Washington, DC - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement today as Republican Party extremist Tom Tancredo joined Minuteman Project co-founder Jim Gilchrist for an anti-immigrant rally at the United States Capitol. Tancredo's extremist divisive views received the endorsement of Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman last July with Mehlman stating that he was "proud" to have Tancredo's extremism as part of the debate on immigration:

"If President Bush were serious about comprehensive immigration reform, he would reject the anti-immigrant fervor on display today, and revisit his half hearted guest worker program whose piecemeal approach fails to address this critical issue. I call on President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman to denounce today's divisive Minuteman rally and to join Democrats in offering a real comprehensive approach to reforming our nation's immigration policy.

"Democrats are committed to strengthening our borders and enforcing our immigration laws, but there is no place in this debate for the reckless scapegoating of immigrants, nor the private vigilantism that only fosters hostility against them. President Bush's failure to provide leadership on immigration reform and to enforce our border laws is leaving state and local governments to bear the burden. Americans need effective leadership and solutions, not the Karl Rove playbook on divisiveness.

"Voters know that together, America can do better. Democrats will never abdicate the responsibility for a real immigration policy and its enforcement to vigilantes, or exploit people's fears for political gain. Americans demand the same of the Republican Party. They can start today by condemning Tom Tancredo's and Jim Gilchrist's anti-immigrant rally."

and to join Democrats in offering a real comprehensive approach to reforming our nation's immigration policy.

Gee, and what would that be, Howie? Registering them to vote as soon as they sneak across the border?

Lets hope everyone remembers Dean on election day. Every day more and more Americans become feed up vigilantes because of the failure of our politicians.

Sounds like a great idea to me. Then 80% of Republican voters can follow Tancredo and his caucus to the Constitution Party. Since it would then have a realistic chance of winning, half of independents and some Democrats would join also. The Constitution Party would have control of the House, Senate, and White House in 2008. We would one again have borders and immigration enforcement.

This is exactly how the Republican Party got it's start, over the issues of slavery and free western land. Six years after they started, Lincoln was elected President, the first Republican President.

I had to write this, even if he never bothers to read it.

2/10/06

Howard Dean
Democratic National Committee

Sir:

I write to you today as a concerned, life-long Democrat who has begun to feel abandoned by the party I grew up with. As a child of the 60’s, I still remember a joke I heard my father tell during the ’64 elections.

Q. What did LBJ see every time he stood in front of the toilet?
A. Goldwater

Not really funny, but my Dad hated Republicans. And so did I. 42 years later, I am finding little to keep me tied to my father’s party. The latest outrage being your statement made today concerning the Minuteman organization.

You said, "If President Bush were serious about comprehensive immigration reform, he would reject the anti-immigrant fervor on display today, and revisit his half hearted guest worker program whose piecemeal approach fails to address this critical issue. I call on President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman to denounce today's divisive Minuteman rally and to join Democrats in offering a real comprehensive approach to reforming our nation's immigration policy.

First, the term ‘anti-immigrant’ is deceptive and untrue. These people are not anti immigrant, they’re anti ILLEGAL immigrant. There’s a big difference between the two, as I am sure you can see. What the Minutemen want is to stem the tide of ILLEGAL immigration across our borders. With an estimated 15 – 20 million ILLEGAL immigrants already in this country I can’t say as I blame them. Legal immigration is not being challenged, and I welcome with open arms the honest, law-abiding people who have followed the rule of law to avail themselves of the ‘American Dream’.

Secondly, calling their rally divisive is disingenuous, at best. In poll after poll, over 70% of LEGAL voters want our borders protected and the massive influx of ILLEGAL aliens stopped. This sentiment crosses all political affiliations, all income levels and all races. It is hardly divisive.

You then went on to say, "Democrats are committed to strengthening our borders and enforcing our immigration laws, but there is no place in this debate for the reckless scapegoating of immigrants, nor the private vigilantism that only fosters hostility against them. President Bush's failure to provide leadership on immigration reform and to enforce our border laws is leaving state and local governments to bear the burden. Americans need effective leadership and solutions, not the Karl Rove playbook on divisiveness.â€

Neither the Republican nor Democratic parties give a hoot about illegal immigration and what's it's doing to this country and US citizens. I've had enough of both.

I'm ready for the Constitution Party.

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http://www.alipac.us/article-1042-thread-1-0.html

Dean certainly is a clown, but this is a shrewd political maneuver.

He will try to guilt Bush into moving left on this issue(like so many other issues).



If he can get Bush to condemn the MMP and the rally, he will have demoralized countless conservatives who might have voted Repub., but will stay home next time.

And it will have enshired the concept: "Amnesty opponent" = "racist, hate mongering, war criminal"


"You WILL get amnesty, regardless of the ballot box." is the message ,Dean would like Bush to deliver.


pa

I don't know what makes Dean think he has the authority to tell anybody anything. And if he wants to start shoveling dirt, then he's just another one of the jackals as far as I'm concerned.

I'm already tired of muck-raking politicians and the campaign for November has just begun.

I'm ready for the Constitution Party.

Sounds good to me. This morning on c-span, Dems and Republicans callers alike were saying and I quote "We have been sold out" The discussion was on the on national and personal debt. I enjoy The Washington Journal, it really gives you the pulse of the nation, no spin.